


Shorts

by rebellioncas



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Betrayal, Blood, Character Analysis, Cheating, Dancer, Death, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Grocery Shopping, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Moving On, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Pining, Rivalry, Smut, Songfic, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2018-10-18 05:25:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10610169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebellioncas/pseuds/rebellioncas
Summary: Drabbles/short stories for some of my favourite Fairy Tail ships.Individual warnings, where necessary, for each chapter.





	1. Friends Don't Kiss - Nastu x Gray

**Author's Note:**

> This one is a re-post. 
> 
> I had a little clear out on my account recently, and this was the only thing I regretted taking down. So here we are.

Natsu wasn’t entirely sure how it happened. How he’d ended up with his eyes closed, and his lips softly parted as Gray pressed his own lips against them.

Just moments before they’d been watching a movie. Snuggled up together on the sofa. Gray with his head on Natsu’s chest, and Natsu absentmindedly playing with the others hair.

It was normal for them. Outside eyes often raised their eyebrows at how close the two were, but it’d always been that way. Even back when they were just kids. Natsu and Gray were close, and that was all. Only now they were an altogether different kind of close.

The kiss was gentle. Each brush of Gray’s mouth against Natsu’s was dizzying, leaving Natsu’s thoughts a broken puzzle in his mind. He found himself unable to focus on anything that wasn’t Gray. All his senses were zoned in on Gray. Everything else was just a buzz around him, a distant hum that felt far away.

Natsu tangled his fingers in Gray’s hair, prompting a gasp out of the boy on top of him. Gray was extremely sensitive to touch, years of friendship were enough for Natsu to know that, but now he was exploring how Gray reacted to it in an entirely different way. A way that was a lot more foreign. Natsu’s heart thudded against his chest at the thought of it.

He trailed a hand down Gray’s torso, slowly so that he could make out the contours of the ravenette’s body under his clothes. He followed the ridges of his chest abdomen all the way down. When he reached the bottom Natsu pushed his hand under Gray’s shirt, and lightly traced his fingertips over bare skin.

Gray shivered, and then stiffened.

It was only a slight hesitation, but it caused every single drowned out thought to surface in Natsu’s head.

The realisation of what they were doing hit him full force. At the same time, terror started to build up inside of him.

Natsu quickly pulled his hands away from Gray’s body, and the kiss broke apart.

When he opened his eyes, he was met with a familiar blue pair staring down at him. Only now, Gray’s eyes were wide. Natsu couldn’t tell if it was due to shock, or fear; probably both.

They stared at each other in silence, the only sound being from their own breathing, and the movie still playing in the background.

The dim-lit room changed colours as the television screen flickered between scenes. The same colours were illuminating Gray’s skin. From bright white, to deep red. To blue and then back to white. Natsu was tempted to reach out and touch. His sense of uncertainty was the only thing that stopped him from doing so.

Gray seemed to be fighting a similar battle with himself. Natsu saw confusion, longing, and apprehension flash across his features, before Gray shut them all off. Then Natsu couldn’t see a thing. And that filled him with a whole new kind of fear.

"Gray…” Natsu whispered. His voice sounded far too loud in his own ears, but Gray didn’t even look like he’d heard him.

Natsu gulped nervously, and forced himself to move. He lifted his hand and gently rested his fingers over Gray’s wrist.

Slowly, Natsu moved his fingers until they were on the back of Gray’s hand. Then he carefully turned Gray’s hand over, and held it in his own.

Gray’s gaze fell on their linked hands, and Natsu watched as his brow furrowed and his emotions started to show through again.

"Gray.” He said again, and this time Gray responded by looking at him.

"We kissed.” He sounded almost in disbelief. "I… kissed you.”

Natsu bit his lip and felt his cheeks flush.

"Uh… yeah.”

Gray stared at him for a moment, until something seemed to click. He turned his face away, looking almost ashamed.

"Sorry.” He stammered out, dipping his head in embarrassment. “Fuck. I’m sorry.”

"Why?” Natsu asked. Speaking bluntly and not thinking beforehand.

"For kissing you…” Natsu watched a sad expression form on Gray’s face. “You probably didn’t appreciate that.”

Gray’s shoulders slumped a little, and Natsu’s heart clenched.

"I meant, why are you sorry for kissing me.”

Gray cautiously turned his head to face Natsu again. Natsu gave his hand a small squeeze.

"I um… I didn’t mind it that much.”

"You didn’t?”

Natsu smiled and shook his head.

"I wasn’t expecting it but, it was nice... I think.”

"You think?” Gray said hesitantly.

A sudden wave of confidence came over him, and Natsu smirked.

"Well, I’d have to try it again to know for sure.” He flushed, and dropped his gaze, as soon as the words left his mouth. “I mean… only if you, uh. If you wanna, then… I’d like that.”

A hint of amusement flashed in Gray’s eyes, followed by a look that could only be described as adoration.

"I’d like that too.”


	2. Ethereal - Lucy x Juvia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucy works in a small supermarket. When a certain blue haired customer approaches her till, Lucy gets a little awestruck.

She was beautiful. In every sense of the word. With long blue hair that fell against porcelain skin, caressing her back in soft waves. Eyes that were the colour of the ocean underneath a night sky. They shared the same depth of the ocean too. Intense, keeping tens, hundreds, thousands of secrets. Encapsulating anything, anyone, that fell into their sight. 

 

Her eyes made Lucy feel like a book. Torn open, pages on display for all to see, spilling out words, whilst the mystery girl took in every detail.

 

Lucy gulped.

 

"Would you like a bag with that?" She asked. She tried to sound cheerful, polite, it was what she was trained to do after all. But her training failed her. Instead, Lucy's voice matched her flustered demeanour, coming out nervous and unsteady.

 

"No, thank you." The woman's voice was velvet. Deep, and considered. Careful, and calming. Her words left her mouth through the softest lips Lucy thought she had ever seen. She stared a little too long.

 

"Then, that will be £12.19, please." Lucy said, clearing her throat.

 

She watched as the woman opened up her purse, searching for the right change. Her fingers moved swiftly, but delicately, and Lucy found herself utterly entranced.

 

Normal people fumbled through paper notes, and small coins, sometimes taking annoyingly long to find the correct amount, but the woman in front of her moved with pure grace. Lucy was fairly certain that she could fall in love with her hands alone.

 

"Here you go." Lucy was knocked out of her thoughts by an outstretched hand.

 

She took the money, opened up the till, picked out the right change, and turned back.

 

"That will be £2.81 change." Lucy passed the coins over, and their hands met. It was only the briefest brush of skin on skin, but it sent an undeniable warmth shoot through Lucy's veins. Small sparks lit up across the surface of her skin, and an overwhelming sense of _home._

 

It was like nothing that Lucy had ever felt before. It made her feel safe, and it made her want.

 

"Thank you." The woman slipped her purse back into her bag, and smiled. It caused Lucy's heart to flutter, and she decided there and then that the blue-haired girl must be ethereal. 

 

"You're welcome." Lucy beamed, feeling a heat creep up her cheeks as she did so. "Have a lovely day."

 

She nodded, still smiling, and then she turned away. She walked towards the exit, with elegance in each step. Lucy watched her go, and she almost swore that she saw a light glow surrounding her. But then again, maybe that was just her imagination.

 

"Ahem." Lucy tore her gaze away, turning to face the next customer.

 

"Ah." She uttered, feeling herself turn red in embarrassment. "Sorry, Sir."

 

She shook her head, and began scanning items again. Ignoring the fact that, out of the corner of her eye, she could see Natsu laughing at her from the next till across.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Lucy, Natsu's not gonna stop teasing her about that for a while. 
> 
> It's short, but hopefully it's sweet. I also accidently wrote 4 chapters of a fic I wasn't gonna write (lmao). So maybe, over the summer, there'll be some new stuff coming.


	3. Falling Apart - Sting x Natsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now my body and mind are so distant
> 
> Don't know how to escape from this prison"
> 
> i can't breathe - Bea Miller 
> 
> (a rly good song!!)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently this is how I deal with things. lol.
> 
> Warning for description of a panic attack.

It felt like falling apart. Physically and mentally. Like losing all control. Like handing over the reigns to fear and paranoia, and being able to do nothing but hold on. To grip as tightly as possible to reality, whilst being dragged further and further towards insanity.

It felt like being on a desert island. Isolated, and alone. No sense of time. No sense of defence. No sense of what was going on outside of that little bubble. Beyond that long stretch of ocean. Where the real world was.

And suddenly that island was sinking. The bubble was closing in. Suffocating. Trapping. And the water was rushing inwards as the solid ground got smaller, and smaller. Until it was gone.

Then there was nothing to do but fight. To stay above water, to keep breathing. To kick ferociously, to the point of fatigued limbs.

But, somehow, there was unused adrenaline. And, with that, came aching muscles. With that, came an inability to move.

Being paralysed felt like being gripped tightly all over. Strong hands pulled down, and suddenly the air was gone. Replaced by water. A deep, deep darkness, that felt never ending. If lungs could scream, they would.

It felt like drowning. It felt like dying. Fear turned into pure panic, and scenes played out with the upmost verisimilitude. A twisted movie of unwanted memories, and nightmarish scenarios.

One last kick, causing everything to cry out in agony. And then acceptance. Giving in, and letting the waves have their way. Being pulled under by the currents, and losing all sight of the surface.

Tired. Shattered. Too exhausted to try.

But panic attacks were relentless. They didn't stop when the point of exhaustion was reached. They left the victim shaking. Crying. Collapsed in on themselves and quaking. Pulling in whatever air they could, even though it felt like poison.

~

Natsu's body burned. It took him a while to notice it, but the more he became aware of himself and his surroundings, the more it hurt.

He felt weak, and he felt pathetic. A deep sense of self-hatred settled in the pit of his stomach, and confusion formed in his mind as he tried to distinguish what had been real, and what hadn't.

Ghosts of the past lingered on Natsu's skin, and he flinched at a breath against his ear that wasn't there. Tried to cover his arms when he felt touches that weren't real. Curled in on himself when he felt a hand on his throat that was just a figment of his imagination.

There were tears on his cheeks. Natsu knew for sure that those were real. His eyes burned, and face felt wet with water, and with gross snot.

His heart was still pounding, though it was slowing down now, and Natsu could hear the blood pumping in his ears. That was real too.

He didn't open his eyes yet. Too afraid of what he might see. But the blurred line between true and false was becoming a lot clearer.

Adrenaline and dread started to seep out of him. Leaving Natsu's body aching, whilst his thoughts started to slow down.

His breathing was still sharp. Coming in through his mouth, as his chest moved up and down with small hiccoughs. But as his body calmed, it took dizziness and nausea away with it.

"Natsu."

His senses started to come into focus.

"Natsu."

Real and not real were almost two entirely separate things again. And Natsu realised that he wasn't alone.

Slowly, hesitantly, he opened his eyes and blinked a few times. It wasn't enough to rid him of the blurry haze that tears left behind. In fact, it took Natsu a moment to completely focus, and to zone in on what he was looking for. Or rather, who he was looking for. But, eventually, he saw familiar blonde hair, and part of him relaxed.

"Hey." Sting's voice. Smooth, and calm. Filled with concern, of course. But controlled.

Natsu stared at him. The more he did, the more Sting's features became clear. His eyes, his mouth, his ears, his nose. He was real, and he was there.

Natsu wanted to reach out to him. But he was scared to move. Scared that his muscles would seize up again, and that he would be dragged straight back into what felt like hell. So he just stared. Quietly. Silently.

"Natsu..." Sting hesitated, then reached out.

Despite wanting Sting to comfort him, Natsu tensed.

"Hey, Natsu, it's only me." Gently, he placed a hand on Natsu's shoulder. "You're okay. You're okay, it's over now."

Natsu's trepidation quietened.

Sting's touch sent a rush through his body that rid him of the last remnants of fear. And, without that, Natsu felt numb.

He dropped his gaze, a few tears still slipping down his cheeks, and let his mind glaze over. Shutting out all thoughts, and going blank. Giving it time to repair itself, before Natsu came back to it.

His eyes glazed over too, and he stared at nothing. It left Natsu perfectly still. Not thinking. Not really feeling. Just incredibly, incredibly insensate.

Natsu felt Sting move. Felt arms wrap around him, and pull him closer. Felt a hand run through his hair, across his cheek, down his arm. Felt air move on the top of his head as Sting breathed.

"It's okay." Sting whispered. "You're okay. I'm here. I'm not going."

It was what Natsu needed to hear, but he was much too tired to react to it. He said nothing. He did nothing.

Instead, he leaned into Sting. Letting the blonde hold up the both of them. Letting him fill up the silence with soothing whispers, and letting him wipe away the ghosts on Natsu's skin with his touches.

Natsu was unable to do that himself. He was unable to do anything. He let his eyes slip shut.

"I love you." Sting murmured. He reached down with one hand, and wrapped it around Natsu's.

Natsu did his best to curl his fingers around Sting's hand in return. It was a weak attempt, and it was all that Natsu could muster. It wasn't in vain, Sting squeezed his hand in acknowledgement.

"I love you, and you're going to be okay. I promise."

His words made Natsu want to cry. But he had nothing left in him to do so. They made Natsu want to grip onto Sting tightly, and never let go. But he had no energy. He couldn't.

So he lay in perfect silence. Whilst a painful nothingness ate at his very core. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk, I feel like I've written this really badly. I'm on my phone and it's early hours of the morning. I have a busy day tomorrow, so good to see that I have my priorities straight lmao. 
> 
> Also: originally this was gonna be Gratsu. I just ended up writing Sting's name instead. And if Stingsu ain't the purest FT ship ever, then idk what is.


	4. Opposites - Natsu x Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opposites attract; or so it was said. But what if they didn’t? What if opposites repelled one another with such a force, that the two adversaries lost sight of one another. What if opposites clashed in a way that sent them spiralling off track.

Opposites attract; or so it was said. But what if they didn’t? What if opposites repelled one another with such a force, that the two adversaries lost sight of each other. What if opposites clashed in a way that sent them spiralling off track.

 

Natsu was fire. A burning passion, fuelled by his selfless need to protect his friends, and his selfish desire to take any measures necessary in order to do so. He was hypocritical in the sense that he would give everything, but he wanted to lose nothing.  

 

His eyes had two sides. For Natsu could be calm when he wanted to be. When he needed to be. He was a good listener, despite what people might think, he just wasn’t very good with his own words.

 

Natsu’s eyes were kind, caring, and filled with pure adoration for the people his loved. But that sense of serenity could be changed in a matter of seconds.

 

When crossed, Natsu’s eyes lit up with a blaze. Scorning anyone who dared to threaten his family. And whilst his eyes glowed red with rage, so did his body. Flames surrounded him, and Natsu let his heart rule his head. That in itself, was something Natsu had come to realise was a weakness.

 

He let his heart rule his head when he was fighting. And he let his heart rule his head when it came to a certain Ice Mage.

 

Natsu and Gray were about as opposite as they come. They clashed, and they clashed hard. But somehow, that just made Natsu want the dumb stripper even more.

 

Gray was cold, and he was hard. But that was only his exterior. Natsu knew Gray had a soft side, and he knew Gray cared more than he let on. It was because of this, that Gray left Natsu thoroughly confused.

 

As someone who wore his heart on his sleeve. Someone who told everyone everything, and didn’t know the meaning of the word: “secret.” Natsu didn’t understand how, or why Gray liked to keep himself to himself. And he couldn’t for the life of him understand how doing so didn’t send Gray insane.

 

Or perhaps it wasn’t that Natsu didn’t understand. Perhaps it was that he simply didn’t like it.

 

He didn’t like that Gray kept parts of himself hidden. He didn’t like that he couldn’t read Gray as well as he could other people. He didn’t like that he had no knowledge of the little things. Of what Gray was like when he truly let his guard down. Natsu didn’t like that Gray knew everything about him, when he knew virtually nothing about Gray.

 

It frustrated him. It angered him. And, worst of all, it made him feel vulnerable. A feeling that Natsu had never experienced before Gray. And a feeling that he absolutely hated.

 

It made him feel as though he were at a disadvantage. When they clashed physically, with fists and with hot and cold. When they clashed verbally, with harsh comments and silly names.

 

When they clashed in the dark, out of sight from everyone else.

 

When Natsu pushed Gray up against a wall, and assaulted Gray’s mouth with his own. When he clawed at Gray’s skin like he was trying to unearth everything that was unknown. And when he panted in Gray’s ear with a desperation and a need that overtook his entire being.

 

And it wasn’t that Gray held back. Natsu knew what Gray felt like, tensing and arching into fiery touches. He knew what Gray sounded like when he was fraught. When he craved, wanted, yearned.

 

Natsu knew what Gray looked like when he was falling apart. And when he was, Natsu felt like some of the locks on the door to Gray’s soul were loosened.

 

As soon as it was over, the locks slid right back into place. It left Natsu right back at square one. Back to snide comments and cocky smirks. Back to soft glares and raw fist fights.

 

But friendly rivalry wasn’t enough for Natsu. And maybe it was just curiosity, or maybe it was something deeper. Either way, Natsu found himself wanting more. He craved more, and he would fight for it. But it would never be enough. Natsu knew that.

 

He felt as though he and Gray couldn’t be more opposite, and they couldn’t be being pulled further apart. Not even if they tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might actually be the quickest I've ever written anything? It took less than an hour, so it's not great lol. But I got the idea and just rolled with it so I hope it turned out okay.
> 
> Also, has anyone seen Dragon Cry yet? I saw it yesterday, and thought it was pretty good! Flawed, of course, but incredible nonetheless. Lemmie know what you thought of it if you have seen it.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it :)


	5. I'm Naked! - Sting x Natsu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sting used to be a dancer, Natsu finds his old outfit.

Sting didn’t look up the first time it happened. Just raised an eyebrow as he continued to scroll through his phone. However, the second sharp “ow” that came from the direction of the utility room was enough to gain his attention. 

 

A moment of silence, and then: “You okay, Natsu?”

 

Sting didn’t get an answer. Instead, all he heard was a string of muttered curses.

 

“Natsu?” He tried again.

 

“Yeah?” Natsu’s voice grew ever so slightly in pitch, which meant either Sting had caught him by surprise, or he was doing something that he wasn’t supposed to be doing.

 

There was a small thud, like something had been knocked over.

 

“Shit, fuck.”

 

Sting smirked, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

 

“Trust you to be amused rather than offer to come help me.” Natsu called back. “I’m fine, I just knocked the basket over.”

 

“Aw, is the laundry too big of a task for you?” Sting had to stifle a snicker.

 

“No.”

 

“Are you sure? You’ve been doing it for ages. Do you need me to come help?”

 

“No! Don’t come in.”

 

Sting frowned. He clicked his phone screen off, and sat up on the settee. 

 

“Why? What’re you up to?”

 

“Nothing.” Natsu said quickly. “Absolutely nothing, don’t come in!”

 

Sting stood up. “Why not?”

 

“Because.”

 

“Because...?”

 

“Because.” Natsu snapped.

 

“Okay, whatever.” Sting rolled his eyes, starting to move in the direction of the utility room anyway. Curious as to what on earth Natsu could be doing, and why he didn’t want Sting to know about it.

 

Maybe he’d broken something. Maybe he’d accidently shrunk some of the laundry. Or, maybe he’d washed some of the wrong clothes together and mixed the colours.

 

None of the above would surprise Sting. It wasn’t like he hadn’t made the same mistake before, and Natsu had been less than pleased when one of his favourite t-shirts came back to him baby-sized. Well, that was until Sting had apologised with a small stuffed bear that could wear the shrunken article.

 

“Idiot.” He muttered under his breath. “I’m coming in unless you give me a good enough reason why I shouldn’t.”

 

Natsu slammed the door shut just as Sting reached it.

 

“I’m naked!” He yelled.

 

Yet again, Sting found himself having to stifle a laugh.

 

“…And?”

 

“I have no clothes on!” Natsu exclaimed, calmer this time.

 

Sting tried the door handle, but it wouldn’t budge, and he knew for a fact that the door didn’t have a lock. Meaning Natsu had either wedged something underneath it, or was holding the door shut from the other side.

 

“Okay, first of all, why are you doing the laundry naked?” Sting asked.

 

“Uh…”

 

“And second, why would I care if you were?”

 

Sting took the lack of response as confirmation that Natsu’s excuse was a lie, and he knocked on the door.

 

“Wanna tell me what you’re really doing?”

 

“No.” He sounded frustrated now. With himself, or with Sting… The blonde couldn’t quite tell.

 

“You’ll find out if you just piss off for a sec.” Natsu grumbled. “You won’t find out at all if you don’t.”

 

Now Sting was even more perplexed. _What the hell is he doing?_ But he decided to do what Natsu wanted, and he didn’t push it further. He did trust Natsu, after all.

 

“Fine, fine.” He muttered, stepping back. “I’ll be waiting.”

 

Sting heard Natsu sigh in relief as he walked away, followed by lots of grunting, and shuffling noises. He shook his head, flopping back into his original seating position, and picking up his phone.

 

***

 

It took another ten minutes before Sting found out just what Natsu had been doing. The door clicked open, and Sting looked over, but Natsu didn’t come out. Not right away.

 

“Don’t laugh.” Came his voice, from behind the door.

 

“Why?” Sting questioned, dubiously. “What’d you do?”

 

“I didn’t _do_ anything.” Natsu retorted, before pausing. The pause suggesting that he had in fact done _something._

 

“Well, actually… Look. It doesn’t matter. Just don’t laugh at me, okay?”

 

Sting sighed, putting his hands up in surrender. Though, he knew that Natsu couldn’t see him.

 

“Okay.” He agreed.

 

“Promise?” Natsu was quieter now. More hesitant, and Sting would go as far as to say that he sounded nervous.

 

“I promise, Natsu.”

 

There was a deep breath, some more shuffling, and an odd tinkling sound. Then, finally, Natsu stepped into view.

 

Sting froze at what he saw, and he probably couldn’t have laughed if he tried. His eyes went wide, and his mouth dry.

 

“Holy shit.”

 

It turned out that Natsu hadn’t broken anything. He hadn’t shrunken anything, and he hadn’t miss-coloured any clothes. Instead, he’d found out an outfit that Sting hadn’t seen in a long long time, and was now stood wearing it.

 

A tight, dusty looking, green crop top was tight around Natsu’s chest. It had once been olive in colour, but had been changed by age. Even so, it sat nicely against Natsu’s dark skin. It rode high enough for his abdomen to be on full view, and the collar covered most his neck, like a choker. On top of the top, was Sting’s old cropped jacket. Royal blue in colour, and lined with dark grey feathers. It ended just below the top, and it left Natsu’s shoulders and upper arms on full view.

 

On Natsu’s lower arms, sat a pair of silk gloves. They were the same blue as the jacket, and they covered his hands, forearms, and elbows. Ending at the lower ends of his biceps, where they were tied off with two long pieces of white ribbon. Then there were the shorts. Dark grey, and baggy. Cropped just under the knee, and held up by a pair of suspenders that added to the sharpness of the outfit.  

 

Finally, and probably the most noticeable part of the outfit, was the source of the tinkling that Sting had heard earlier. Tied around each of Natsu’s ankles, was a single piece of red ribbon. Attached to that, were two small golden bells. One on each side. They rang out every time he moved, and he was barefoot underneath.

 

Sting was speechless.

 

“On second thought,” Natsu mumbled, looking down at himself. “You laughing might have been a better option.”

 

“That’s…” Sting trailed off, unsure of what to say. “That’s my…”

 

“Your old show outfit, I know.” Natsu shifted uncomfortably, the bells jingling as he moved. “Do you like it?”

 

“Like it?” Sting breathed. “I fucking love it.”

 

He stood up and walked over to where Natsu was stood. Stopping to take it all in for a moment, and then reaching out and running his fingers through the soft feathers around Natsu’s neck.

 

Natsu flushed, and dipped his head.

 

“How did you… I mean, I thought this stuff would all be too big for you.”

 

“Hey!” Natsu protested. “You’re not that much taller than me!”

 

Sting grinned at him, but still his eyes were filled with wonder, and disbelief.

 

“It must just mean I have more muscle than you.” Natsu puffed his chest out.

 

“Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night.” Sting snorted.

 

He trailed a finger down one of the silk gloves, not missing the hitch in Natsu’s breath when he did.

 

“You look good, though.” He said, softly. Good was an understatement. Natsu looked incredible. Breath-taking. Sting never wanted to stop looking at him, and he suddenly understood why so many girls had fawned over him when he’d worn this outfit years ago.

 

“Yeah?” Natsu looked up, biting his lip. Sting could only nod in reply. “I saw it hanging in your wardrobe the other day, and I wanted to try it so…”

 

“Well if this is what happens when you do the laundry, I might have to get you to do it more often.” Sting hummed, stepping forwards as he spoke. The bells around Natsu’s ankles jingled as he was backed into the wall.

 

“I might be okay with that.” Natsu murmured, reaching out to tug sting closer by the hem of his shirt. “Does this mean I’m excused for shrinking your work clothes?”

 

Sting blinked. “My what? You didn’t. Natsu, please tell me you didn’t.”

 

Natsu broke out in a grin, and started to laugh.

 

“Oh, thank fuck.” Sting exhaled, and leant his forehead against Natsu’s.

 

“Gotcha.” Natsu chuckled, laughing harder and Sting’s half-attempt at a glare.

 

“You sure about that?” Sting murmured, bringing his hand up to stroke through Natsu’s hair, and settle on the side of his face. “Cause from where I’m standing, I’m the one who’s got you.”

 

Natsu’s laughter faded, a soft smile replacing it. “If you say so, love.”

 

“I say so.”

 

There was a moment of silence between the two. Natsu stared at Sting, before his gaze fell to Sting’s lips, and Sting swore that he could hear his own heart beating against his chest.

 

He leaned forwards, and watched Natsu do the same. Watched his eyes start to close, felt arms around his waist, and hands settle on his back. Then Sting pulled back, teasing. Not giving Natsu what he wanted just yet.

 

“I love you.” Sting whispered, grinning when he felt Natsu tighten his grip in his shirt.

 

“Yeah…” Natsu breathed. “I love you too, so you damn-well better kiss me.”

 

Sting chuckled under his breath. “As you wish.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I can think about now is Sting teaching Natsu how to do show makeup.
> 
> This is kinda shit but I always think that and I need to stop, goddamn it Jess. 
> 
> Anyways, I proofread it once so there might be some mistakes in there. You can let me know if there are, or you can not do that. lol. But if you decide to, you can leave me nice comments at the same time. [side eyes]
> 
> I hope you enjoyed!! Thanks :)


	6. Learn to Live - Natsu x Gray

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Natsu is too stubborn to ask for help after he drains his magic, and gets injured during a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to get back into writing after a 2 week break, so it's not my best. I hope you enjoy anyway!
> 
> Natsu and Gray are in the middle of that friends to lovers stage in this. And, I figured Natsu could get super cold when he drains his magic. I can't remember whether that was ever canon, but oh well.

Natsu doesn't ask, so it's fortunate that Gray doesn't take long to notice. The Ice-Mage rolls his eyes at first; Natsu's laying facing the cavern wall, curled up and shivering under his blankets.

All he has to do is swallow his pride and ask. But Gray can hardly blame him, when he knows full well that he'd be the same if it were the other way around. So, he offers instead.

The girls and Happy are already asleep; Gray's got first watch. The fire's all but died out, but the blizzard outside is as heavy as ever. Gray knows that it wouldn't be safe for him to go out alone.

He shifts from his position, pushes the blanket off of his knees and gets to his feet. Gray keeps his movements quiet, so as not to wake or startle anyone, and tiptoes over to where Natsu is.

"Oi, Flame-brain." He whispers, following his words by gently tapping his foot against Natsu's back.

Natsu pulls his covers tighter around himself, and grunts.

"Mm?"

"You okay?"

"Fine." Natsu says, but his voice sounds strained. "Why?"

Gray shrugs, though he knows Natsu isn't looking to see it.

"You're shaking." Gray points out the strikingly obvious. He crouches down by Natsu's head, trying to peer round and get a glimpse of his friends face. "I figured that's probably not a good sign, especially for you."

"Thanks." He doesn't sound at all thankful. "But I'm fine."

Gray doesn't believe him one bit. He knows just how stubborn Natsu can be, even if it's at a cost to his comfort, or health. It's reckless, stupid, and for the most part, it's incredibly frustrating.

"Then explain the shivering." Gray reaches around and rests the back of his hand on Natsu forehead. "And explain to me why your body temperature is way lower than it usually is."

"Fuck off, Icy." Natsu grumbles. "Just because you can stand the cold more than the rest of us. 'M f-fine."

Natsu's words stutter; Gray imagines it's due to his teeth chattering with cold. He presses his lips into a thin line.

"Idiot." He mutters. Then, he reaches out and pulls Natsu's blankets back a little.

"Oi!" Natsu turns and glares when he feels freezing air hit his skin. "What the hell are you..."

His words trail off when Gray slides under the covers next to him, presses his body closer to Natsu's, and lays his head down.

Natsu stares down at him, dumbfounded. His skin glows in the light from what's left of the fire, he embers making his eyes light up.

Gray blinks at him. He thinks that, maybe, Natsu is kinda beautiful.

"Get out."

His attitude not so much.

"No."

"Gray, I swear to god..."

Gray sighs, exasperated.

"Look, if you want me to get out then I will, but you have to go wake Erza up and tell her that it's not my fault if you freeze to death."

Natsu opens his mouth to respond, closes it, and then opens it again. He repeats to process a few times, clearly wanting to say something back, but unsure of what exactly to say. Gray watches with a raised eyebrow.

"Jerk." Is the oh so witty retort that comes out of Natsu's mouth.

Gray's about to protest, but Natsu lays his head down next to him. He does it with a huff, and he refuses to look at Gray after, but at least he's not being quite so stubborn anymore; Gray can settle for that.

"You know, I'm doing you a favour." He says, after a while of them laying in silence.

"You know." Natsu mimics. "I think I would rather die of hypothermia than sleep next to you."

"And yet somehow you're okay with sleeping with me." Gray says in disbelief, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But be my guest."

"That's different." Natsu says, quietly. It's almost a strain to hear it.

Gray rolls onto his back, with a yawn. He doesn't miss the way that Natsu follows him, chasing his body heat.

"Is it?"

"Yeah." Natsu lifts his head; the wild grin on his face is enough for Gray to know that he's about to say something outrageous. "You're much less annoying when you've got my dick in your mouth."

Gray tries to glare, but he thinks his eyes are probably just squinty with a lack of sleep.

"Ditto." He mumbles. He glances over to where the girls and Happy are, making sure that they're still asleep and oblivious to his and Natsu's conversation.

"Aww, worried someone might hear?"

_Yes, actually. And kinda concerned about how badly I want to kiss you right now._

Gray keeps his thoughts to himself.

"Go to sleep."

"Hm." Natsu chuckles. "Alright."

"How's your head, anyway?" Gray asks, absentmindedly.

"Okay, I think. Thanks." Out of the corner of his eye, Gray sees Natsu lift his arm to prod at the area where he was hit.

"Don't poke at it, dummy."

"There's a lump."

"No, that was there anyway." Gray laughs when Natsu kicks him in the shin.

"Seriously though, do you feel okay?"

"Yeah." Natsu nods, and then after a moment or two: "better now."

Gray can't be sure how honest Natsu is being; he's certain that Natsu's not a hundred percent, but he's warmer now, and he's talkative; that's a good sign.

He says as much.

"Good."

It goes quiet. Gray thinks that Natsu's falling asleep, until...

"Gray?"

"Yeah?"

"What would you do? If I, you know, actually died."

Gray blinks a few times. It takes a second for the question to process in his mind. When it does, Gray frowns.

_Why on earth would you ask me that?_

"I dunno." He replies, honestly. It's a difficult to answer, with it not being something that Gray thinks about all too often.

The only time he thinks about his friends dying is if his mind forces him to; he sees bloody, lifeless faces in his dreams, and he wakes up in a sweat.

"I guess, I'd wanna kill whatever killed you."

"But what if it was an illness? You can't kill an illness."

"You can cure it. In a way, that's killing it." Gray turns to look at him. "Anyway, what's with all the questions. You're not trying to tell me something are you?"

"No. Just curious."

Gray gives him a skeptical look.

"Would you be sad, though?"

"Are you sure your head is alright?" Gray can't for the life of him fathom why Natsu's so interested in knowing. Unless...

"You'd miss me, right?"

"Yeah, Natsu. We all would."

"That's not what I mean." He sounds frustrated. "I mean... you, specifically."

Gray swallows. He stares at the ceiling, his stomach flips as his mind travels to places that he doesn't really want it to go to.

"A lot." Is all that Gray says at first. "I'd miss you a lot. I think... more than you realise."

Natsu shifts; Gray feels his gaze on him.

"Yeah." He says, softly. "Me too."

Natsu lowers his head back down. This time, he rests it underneath Gray's head, above his shoulder. Gray can feel Natsu's hair brushing against his chin, he can feel warm air tickle his collarbone. His breath catches.

Again, they fall into silence. Leaving Gray to wonder whether Natsu really is just curious. Or maybe his words go deeper. Maybe they mean something more.

"Goodnight, Gray." Natsu whispers, breaking Gray out of his train of thought.

"Night, Ashes."

Gray doesn't go back to his thoughts after that. Instead, he just lies there. Keeping his eyes and ears open, he is still on watch after all. But more than that, he's focused on listening to Natsu fall asleep.

Natsu's breathing gets heavier, and heavier. His head presses against the side of Gray's neck, and his body subconsciously draws towards Gray's own body heat.

Gray smiles when he hears Natsu snore. Though it gets annoying quite quickly, Gray thinks to himself that maybe, someday in the future, he could get used to something like this. He could learn to live, just like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote most of this on my phone in the car, lol. I apologise for any mistakes.


	7. Love - Lucy x Juvia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy struggles with inspiration for her latest romance novel, and looks around the guild in search of it. She soon realises, that she’s surrounded by the very thing she’s looking for; just not in the way that she’d hoped.

_She blinks, and all of a sudden everything becomes clear. It’s like she’s finally found the answer to that age old question; her heart pounds at the realisation. She opens her mouth to speak, but the words get lost in the wind._

_He can’t hear her, and she doesn’t think she has the strength, nor the bravery, to say it again._

_“I love you.”_

No. That’s all wrong. The words are right, but the reveal... it just doesn’t seem to fit! Lucy sighs and clicks her pen in her hand, looking down in frustration at her notebook.

It’s not awful, she knows that, it’s just incredibly, _incredibly_ , underwhelming.

All of that build-up: the painstakingly long hours of work, and the pain of her unassuming characters, for what?

_“I love you.”_

Lucy rolls her eyes; could she be any more cliché?

With only those three words, Lucy doesn’t feel as though she’s properly conveyed _exactly_ how her character’s are feeling. It’s not enough. But, you see, it’s difficult for Lucy to know how she should describe it.

Lucy Heartfilia is an author whom writes from her experiences, of which she has plenty.

Adventure, she’s seen creatures beyond her wildest dreams.

Uncertainty, and the fear of starting anew.

Loss, and the agony that comes with it

Friendship... but not love.

The only experience Lucy has with love, comes from the many romance novels that stack her shelves at home.

She chews on the end of her pen, and puzzles over her work.

“You know I love ya,” Lucy looks up, eyes searching the guild for a familiar voice that isn’t directed at her.

Her gaze falls on Gajeel, sat next to him is Levy; a fond smile forms on Lucy’s face when she sees the small blush on her friend’s cheeks.

A wistful _if only_ passes through Lucy’s mind. It’s a brief and selfless thought, because she’s happy for her guild mates, but Lucy can’t help but to long for something like that of her own.

She lets her eyes wander around the guild, and her heart both warms and yearns as she takes it all in.

Lucy sees the warmth in Cana’s eyes, as she watched Mirajane work behind the bar. She doesn’t offer to help; that’d be a slight step to far for the card mage, but Lucy knows that Cana admires and appreciates her girlfriend for all that she does.

Natsu and Gray are sat next to Cana, and whilst she’s distracted Gray sneaks a kiss to Natsu’s cheek. Lucy catches the surprise in Natsu’s eyes, because everyone knows that Gray isn’t that keen on putting his relationship on show. Then, Natsu turns to look at him, leaving Lucy with only a view of the back of his head, and the imagination of the soft smile on his face.

The guild doors open, and Lucy turns to look. A cheer echos around the guild when they see the Raijinshū walk in; returned from a successful mission. Lucy joins in, and watches as Evergreen runs into Elfman’s arms. The latter picks her up and spins her around, until Ever is spluttering for him to stop. Within the remaining three of the Raijinshū, Lucy doesn’t miss the gentle look that Freed and Laxus share.

She exhales. Having seen enough, Lucy looks back down at her notebook.

To say she doesn’t have any experience in love would be a lie; Lucy just doesn’t have any _personal_ experience. Well, even that isn’t quite true.

Lucy looks up again, only this time she’s searching for someone specific. Said someone is sat in a booth at the other end of the guild, when Lucy spots her. All blue hair and curls; she’s sat with her back to Lucy, chatting to Wendy and Charle.

Lucy rests her head on her hand, and stares; unaware that her eyes glisten with the same adoration that she’d been observing in others just moments before.

Lucy is completely naive as to just how much experience with love she’s really got; because, though Lucy might not have realised it, _this_ isn’t just a crush.

A smile tugs at Lucy’s lips as she watches, utterly oblivious to the fact that Juvia’s heart might harbour the same longing, as Lucy’s own does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheesy? Tick. Cliché? Tick. Fluffy? Tick. 
> 
> The breif Cana x Mira mention may or may not have been inspired by the lovely [SnowfallBreeze](http://www.archiveofourown.org/users/SnowfallBreeze/pseuds/SnowfallBreeze) <3
> 
> As usual, apologies for any mistakes. I hope you enjoyed it!


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